Local Exchange Carriers have for some years provided customers with a switch based call forwarding service. In recent years the availability and sophistication of this service has been expanded using the added capabilities afforded through the use of common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) and particularly Signaling System 7 (SS7). SS7 facilitated the introduction of a variety of services referred to as custom calling services. These generally include by way of example, call forwarding, call blocking, caller ID, E911, and others. Representative samples of systems of this general type are described, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,186 issued to Wegner et al. Dec. 27, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,831 issued to Creswell et al. Jan. 24, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,090 issued to Orriss Jun. 13, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,035 issued to Jordan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,901 issued to Harlow, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,645 issued to Bissell et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,603 issued to Gutierrez et al.
The Wegner et al. Patent describes a system for retrieving enhanced subscriber services from a database and for delivering those services to the subscribers of a telecommunications network without requiring the upgrading of local switches. The architecture of the system comprises a plurality of local switches that are connected to an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) to provide the subscribers with access to the network. The local switches utilize an ISUP call-setup-protocol that allows access to a modified SCP known as a virtual circuit service switching point to retrieve subscriber services from the data base. A virtual service switching point (ViSSP) is created by modifying only the serving SCP to include Integrated Services Digital Network User Protocol (ISUP) which provides a second route for call signaling and voice channels. The high speed operation of ViSSP is used to improve response times for activation of enhanced services while reducing the capital investment necessary in the prior art to upgrade all LSs in the network.
The Creswell et al. Patent describes a public switched telephone network adapted to provide a common platform for the provision of customer controlled features. An adjunct is operative for providing personal telecommunications services such that a subscriber may associate different call identifiers with different specifications to define respective call treatments. These features could include forwarding a telephone call associated with a call identifier to one of a number of different destinations.
Calls are treated on a per call basis and are handled in both incoming and outgoing modes dependent upon the called or calling number. While voice mail is an primary objective of the service, additional services include ring through, alternative billing and routing. For example, outgoing calls may be billed to a number other than the phone from which the call was placed. Call forwarding is available as well as enhanced services, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The system uses *codes to activate services stored in personalized files in a server at the basic adjunct.
A public switch telephone network 100 (FIG. 1) includes switching offices 110, 130 and 140 connected through central offices 10 and 20 with stations S1 through S6. Service adjunct 150 operates to process a call associated with one of the subscribers. Voice message service 200 receives voice messages from a calling party via adjunct 150 and network 100. The voice message is addressed to a party who has subscribed to the voice message service that stores messages. A subscriber can dial up service 200 via adjunct 150 and enter a PIN or password. The PIN unloads, from its internal memory, the voice message and transmits the message to the called party's station set via a network connection established between the subscriber set and service.
A subscriber may subscribe to the service and be given a unique telephone number that is permanently assigned to the subscriber as long as the subscriber subscribes to the service. The subscriber can customize calling features by dialing his/her service number to establish a network 100 connection to adjunct 150. In this manner, the subscriber can customize his/her associated record to invoke particular calling call forwarding.
The Orriss Patent describes embodiments of an AIN system in the context of an "800" service. SSP 230 (FIG. 4) triggers generation of the "800" query to the consolidated AIN/800 ISCP 310 in response to receipt of an "800" service call received from the telephone 112. Processor 312 runs the "800" service application 156 to identify the corresponding "800" service record in the "800" CMSDB 314. An "800" response, generated according to the turnaround record contained in the "800" service record, directs the AIN SSP 230 to route the call to an AIN-equipped trunk group. The AIN SSP 230 then routes the original call via a trunk group designated in the AIN response and completes the call according the AIN service instructions contained in the AIN response.
Jordan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,035 discloses a method of using an intelligent network to provide a person locator service through multiple exchanges of the switched telephone network using an AIN type of telephone system architecture. As part of this service, the system provides subscriber access to the subscriber's data in the central data base of the intelligent network, to input data for controlling the person locator service.
Each subscriber to the locator service has a unique person locator telephone number (PLN). To access the system to update data in the data base, the subscriber dials 0700 and his unique person locator telephone number. The telephone switching office routes the call to a traffic service position system (TSPS), which prompts the caller (e.g., provides an additional dial tone) and receives further digits from the subscriber. The subscriber inputs a three digit access code, indicating the type of update call, and a four digit personal identification number. If calling from the remote station to which the subscriber wishes his calls routed, the local switching office forwards the line identification number of that station to the TSPS. The TSPS forwards the dialed information and the line identification to the data base for updating the particular subscriber's location record.
An absent subscriber can input a number to which calls are to be completed, such as the number where the subscriber can be reached, into the central data base. A caller wishing to reach the subscriber dials the subscriber's unique person locator number. A telephone switching office having access to CCIS sends the dialed number to the central data base. The data base retrieves the stored completion number for the called subscriber and forwards that number back to the switching office to complete the call.
Harlow, U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,901 discloses use of an Intelligent Network to translate the directory number of an incoming call into one or more identifications of lines served by a local switching system, and one or more directory numbers not served by the local switching system. The system provides both landline telephone services and mobile telephone services.
Bissell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,645 discloses an intelligent network (IN) type system for forwarding a traveling subscriber's incoming calls to a different location identified by an automatic registration performed when the subscriber engages in a business transaction or activity that indicates his or her location. The transaction/activity can be any action that initiates updating of the electronic data base with information that directly or indirectly indicates the subscriber's identity and whereabouts. Examples include the use of a credit card at a location such as a hotel or airport, the making of a long distance telephone call with a credit card that identifies the subscriber or the use of an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
Gutierrez et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,603 discloses an intelligent network with selective routing of queries among a plurality of network control point (NCP) databases. Each end office switch has an associated global title translation (GTT) database, implemented, for example, as an element of a CNI ring interface to the SS7 (signaling system 7) signaling links. When a switch receives a call that requires intelligent call processing, such as a "software defined network" (SDN) call or an 800 call, the switch routes a query to the associated GTT database. This query fully identifies the calling station, for example by its 10 digit telephone number. The GTT database uses the calling station identification to identify the particular NCP in the telecommunications network that contains the appropriate record for completing the call. Assuming that the GTT database includes an identification of the NCP, the GTT database provides that information to the switch. The switch subsequently queries the particular NCP directly, to obtain the call processing information necessary to complete the call.
If the GTT database associated with the particular switch does not contain an appropriate entry, or an error condition exists, the GTT database so informs the switch. In response, the switch launches a further query to a centralized database, called a "universal global translation" (UGT) database. The UGT database stores appropriate GTT translations identifying the correct NCP database for each subscriber. In response to the query from the switch, the UGT database retrieves information identifying the customer ID and the particular NCP in the telecommunications network that contains the appropriate record for completing the call, and provides this information to the originating switch. The switch subsequently queries the particular NCP directly, to obtain the call processing information necessary to complete the call.
In the case where the GTT database did not include the appropriate record, the information obtained from the UGT database is also provided to and stored in the GTT database. Thus, the GTT database is "self provisioning", in that it will thereafter contain the appropriate information to avoid another query to the UGT database when the same calling station originates a subsequent call.
Other patents dealing with this general approach include Weber U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,860, issued Mar. 4, 1980, and Josephs U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,091, issued Jun. 13, 1995.
Voice mail is a service which may be considered a custom calling service and normally includes in its operation the use of call forwarding. Voice mail has become commonplace not only in business usage but also on an individual telephone service subscriber basis through Centrex service from a central office. A voice mail system is a specialized computer that stores messages in digital form on a fixed disk. The voice is generally digitized, usually at a much slower rate than the 64 Kb/s signal the central office uses in its switching network. The digitized voice is compressed and stored on a hard disk that maintains the voice mail operating system, system prompts, and greetings, and the messages themselves. A processor controls the compressing, storing, retrieving, forwarding and purging of files. A form of early systems is described in Matthews et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,752 (hereinafter the Matthews '752 Patent), issued in February, 1983, and several related patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,906 (hereinafter the Matthews '906 Patent), issued Apr. 29, 1986 to Gordon H. Matthews et al. The Matthews '906 Patent is a continuation-in-part of the Matthews '752 Patent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,129 (hereinafter the Matthews '129 Patent), issued Jul. 22, 1986 to Gordon H. Matthews et al. The Matthews '129 Patent is a continuation-in-part of the '752 Matthews Patent.
The three Matthews Patents each describe a voice mailbox type system using digital storage and programmed control to offer a wide variety of message storage, forwarding and delivery type services.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,081, issued Nov. 25, 1986, to Lawrence A. Lotito, et al. This patent describes an automated telephone voice service system which provides automatic recording and editing of voice messages as well as forwarding of recorded voice messages to other accounts and telephone numbers with or without operator assistance.
The Problem
In all of these prior systems the hardware and software involved are established, maintained, and controlled by the telephone companies, usually the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). This imposes limitations on the universality of conditions under which custom services such as, by way of example, call forwarding, call blocking, voice mail and others may be offered and implemented. None of the foregoing prior art arrangements provides a system for expedient implementation of such services in a manner which lends itself to widespread adoption under varying circumstances with a minimum of alteration of telephone and other networks involved.